With the threat of the Covid-19 virus, Filipino families are faced with the dilemma of maintaining a steady source of income of which the poorest are the most affected. The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program continues to aid these families through the conditional cash transfer and modified conditional cash transfer. The Modified Conditional Cash Transfer (MCCT) is designed to respond to the basic, health and education needs of indigenous people while also preserving their culture and tradition. Moreover, the Support Services Intervention (SSI) program is designed to uplift the socio-economic status of family-beneficiaries of MCCT through cash-for-work, micro-enterprise/livelihood assistance, feeding programs, family camps and other income-generating projects.

 

In the town of Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya, four MCCT beneficiaries demonstrate how they have benefited from the program and used the opportunity to improve their living condition.

 

“Sari-Sari Store”

Hilda Delos Santos of barangay Buena Vista is a very frugal woman. She regularly attends Family Development Sessions (FDS) and is especially interested on topics covering financial budgeting and management. The cash grants she receives monthly are efficiently accounted for the family’s needs and she makes sure there is still money left for savings.

 

In a couple of months, she was able to save enough money to put up a small sari-sari store in the barangay.  She is also a recipient of the livestock dispersal project under the program where the female cow she received has already given birth to a healthy male calf. According to her, the program has empowered her to engage in income-generating activities and hopes that through her efforts, she will be able to get her children through college.

 

“Gulay Everyday”

May Ann Aguirre is an active 4Ps Parent Leader (PL) of barangay Buenavista. She meticulously ensures that 4Ps members under her wing remain compliant to the program conditions as well as uphold the various obligations of each member-beneficiary. She believes that it is also each beneficiary’s obligation to maintain a good status among fellow beneficiaries and other members of the community.

 

One of the obligations she adheres to is the establishment of a Bio-intensive garden to promote food security and combat malnutrition among young children. Aside from the barangay 4Ps communal garden, she has established her own backyard garden planted with corn, okra, eggplant, sweet potato etc. Her backyard garden will be the main source of the family’s food supply as well as an added source of income.

 

“Hogging the benefits”

Wilhemina Bugtong of Barangay Paitan is proud to show her MCCT-SSI project. She has attended the livestock-raising training in the previous year and was awarded a gilt to raise. She admits that raising a pig has been very challenging for the family especially with the declaration of the Enhanced Community Quarantine. The family had to source feed from the local agricultural supply store and with the absence of local transportation, the family had to be resourceful in transporting food stuff as well as maximize the feed stuff using locally available feed in order to maintain the hog’s health.

 

All that has paid off as the gilt gave birth to 5 healthy piglets in the month of August. Wilhelmina admits that it would be another challenge to raise 5 additional hogs but she is positive that they will be able to overcome it one day at a time.

 

“A cattle for a house”

Lorefi Urmatan of barangay Buenavista shares the same experience with Hilda. She has also received a female cow for their SSI project in 2017. According to her, she preferred cattle since it was less expensive to raise a ruminant, needing only clean patch of grass to graze and the occasional health check by the local agriculture office to boost the immune system.

 

In March, her cattle gave birth to a healthy male calf. She hopes that with her family’s industry and continuous rearing, the male calf will be ready to sell in a few more months. The proceeds of the sale of the male cow is intended for the construction of a more permanent dwelling for the family.

###with contributions by MAT Bayombong